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]¥o. 4. 

REPORTS of tIeMTIOiNAL WAR COMMITTEE 

OP THE CITIZENS OF NEW-YORK. 



REPORT 



COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO EXAMINE A PLAN TO PRO- 
VIDE FOR GREATER EFFICIENCY IN AMBULANCE 
AND CAMP-HOSPITAL CORPS. 



The defects in the Ambulance and Hospital arrangements demand 
immediate and earnest attention. The people of the loyal States have 
learned that the wounded soldiers have endured a fearful amount of 
unnecessary suffering, arising, not from inefficiency in the medical 
corps, nor from want of good intentions on the part of the officers, 
but from the absence of a well-organized body of suitable men to 
gather up the wounded on the battle-field, take them to proper hos- 
pitals, and care for them there. 

The Hospital department embraces the medical corps under the able 
direction of Surgeon-General Hammond, and also the ambulance 
drivers and assistants, hospital stewards, ward-keepers, nurses and 
cooks. To perform the duties of these offices soldiers are detailed 
from the United States service ; men accustomed to the stern disci- 
pline and duties of war. When relieved from the strict restraints of 
military rule, and assigned to hospital duty, they generally become 
careless, unmanageable, intemperate, and wholly unreliable in times 
of real need. They are morally and physically unfit and unable to 
perform their duties. Generally, the man who is detailed from a com- 
pany for hospital duty is one of the worthless men, of whom the captains 
and subalterns are glad to be rid. In no instance, so far as we have 
observed, has a good soldier been detailed for this duty. 



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A bad, convalescent or disabled man cannot attend properly to the 
sick or wounded. A good nurse must have some experience, strong 
arms, a healthy mind, kind disposition, patient sympathy, and a deep 
sense of moral obligation ; and all the hospital and ambulance attend- 
dants should be as well instructed in their special duties as the sol- 
dier in the ranks. 

The present corps of ambulance drivers is probably composed of 
the most brutal and demoralized men in the army. Wlien left to 
act on their own responsibility, they throw aside all humanity and 
decency, and treat the wounded with barbarous cruelty and neglect. 

The cruel and criminal neglect of wounded men after the late 
battle of Manassas, only too truly illustrates what has occurred after 
every battle of this rebellion, and what will inevitably recur at every 
future battle, unless a thorough change be instituted. Hundreds of 
wounded men were reported to the Surgeon-General as still remaining 
with their wounds undressed, lying on the bare ground, exposed to 
the sun and cold, and storm, days after the conflict was over. The 
sufferings of these brave men can never be told, and never half 
realized. Many died from neglect, and many more will die because 
relief was so long in coming. 

Every sentiment of patriotism, honor, gratitude, or even common 
decency, requires that an immediate and effectual remedy should be 
applied, and that these disgraceful scenes should never be repeated. 

Independent of every other motive, ^e effect on volunteering is 
very great. The returned soldiers have just begun to tell the sad 
stories of official neglect, and freemen are not ready to encounter 
such fearful suffering. They are willing to fight, and, if need be, to 
die, but are not willing to be neglected when sick or wounded. 

The cause of all this terrible evil is found in the worthless character 
of many of the ambulance drivers and attendants, and the hospital 
nurses and assistants. And this can all be remedied by adopting an 
uniform and efficient plan. 

Let tbe Secretary of War authorize the enlistment, by volunteering, 
of a body of men, selected from those not liable to draft, equal in 
number to those now employed as ambulance drivers, assistants, 
nurses, cooks, &c. Let them be mustered into the United States 
service on the same terms and with the same pay as soldiers ; selected 
by proper recruiting officers, as peculiarly fitted for their positions ; 
ordered by the Secretary of War for this special duty, and thoroughly 
drilled, prepared and instructed in the service. Let them as rapidly 
as possible take the places of the men now performing these duties ; 
who will return to their respective regiments, replacing in active 
service not less than 12,000 fighting men. 



The men will be uniformed, officered and equipped as an Ambulance 
and Hospital corps ; and would have, say, twenty men from each reg- 
iment, (one corporal, an attendant, and one driver for each ambulance,) 
all under one sergeant; a 2d lieutenant having charge of a corps for 
a brigade, a 1st lieutenant for a division, a captain for a corps 
d'armee, and a colonel commanding the whole ; all under the articles 
of war and the command of superior officers, according to regulations 
to be established for the corps. 

H. M. PIERCE, ^ 

FRANCIS LIEBER, V Committee. 
CHARLES GOULD, ) 

New-York, September 22, 1862. 



This report was submitted to the War Committee on the 2 2d 
inst., approved and ordered printed, and the following resolutions 
were adopted : 

Resolved, That, in the opinion of this committee, signal good 
would result from the adoption, by government, of the essential fea- 
tures of the plan proposed by Mr. Pierce, late superintendent of hos- 
pital nurses at Washington, for the organization of a corps of field 
nurses and attendants of ambulances, and that we recommend the 
said plan to the earnest attention of the honorable the Secretary of 
War, the General-in-Chief and the Surgeon-General. 

Resolved, That a more expeditious removal of the wounded from 
the battle-field, and a more ample and efficient attendance on them 
in the camp hospitals are urgently called for, on the ground of patri- 
otic gratitude, as well as of common expediency, and for the honor 
of our cause and country. 

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to present the 
report to the honorable the Secretary of War, to the General-in-Chief 
and to the Surgeon-General, and personally to urge on these higb 
functionaries the adoption of a large, liberal and wisely-organized 
plan for the removal from the field, and immediate relief of our 
wounded fellow-citizens, who deserve so well of our country. 

Resolved, That the same committee wait on the President of the 
United States and respectfully request his sanction of this important 



and needful measure, and the support of his well-known kindness and 
humanity in its execution. 

Messrs. Gould, Phelps and Pierce were appointed a committee of 
three, under the third resolution, to submit the report to the authori- 
ties at Washington. 



From the minutes. 



John Austin Stevens, Jr., 

Secretary. 



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